Every home owner at some point has probably considered taking on a DIY project. It could be something simple like creating interior decoration arts and crafts from recycled products. On the other hand, it could be something more sophisticated like fixing your own plumbing or painting a room. Whatever the case, there is no denying the fact that DIY project are a lot of fun and offer a sense of fulfillment like nothing else.

However, there are some home improvement projects that are honestly best left to the professionals. One of these is deep carpet cleaning. It might seem like something pretty simple and straightforward but carpet cleaning is truly an art form. It requires someone who understands the carpet, the equipment, the chemicals and the entire process itself. It is therefore best to leave it to the experts. To help put things in perspective, below is a summary of all the things that could go wrong should you decided to take on deep carpet cleaning as a DIY project.

5 reasons why you should not do it yourself

1. Renting or buying the equipment is not cheap

One thing that many home owners considering DIY carpet cleaning seem not to realize is the fact that it costs a lot. You basic carpet vacuum cleaner will not be enough for the deep cleaning that your carpet requires. If you want your carpet properly cleaned then you will have to invest in some pretty expensive machines. It could be anything from a dry foam carpet cleaner or a steam cleaning device. Whether you choose to buy or rent out the equipment, you will still have to spend quite the amount of money which beats the purpose of a project DIY. What’s worse is the fact that despite your investment there is no guarantee that the carpet will turn out as clean as you expected it to.

2. You could do more harm than good

One of the greatest dangers of DIY carpet cleaning is the risk of ruining the carpet. This is something that is very likely to happen. One way you could end up ruining your carpet is by using the wrong cleaning technique. It is important to understand that different carpet fabrics have different needs and different limits when it comes to cleaning. This means that the way you clean your woolen rug in the living room is not how you will clean the synthetic fiber carpet in your bathroom. Professionals have the best understanding of these dynamics and are therefore in the best position to make the right decision as far as which cleaning method and equipment to use. As an amateur on the other hand, you could end up making the wrong decision and end up with anything from runny fabric to shrinkage. You also run the risk of damaging your carpet by not letting it dry enough. Again, this is one of those very important decisions that require both skill and experience. If you do not give your carpet enough time to dry and air out, you could cause water damage which needless to say is not good news for you.

3. It could be harmful to your health

Another danger of DIY carpet cleaning is negative health reactions. A dirty carpet holds everything from allergens to fungal colonies. These and the many other forms of nastiness pose a significant risk to you as the home owner. When it comes to cleaning a carpet, care must be taken to avoid exposure to these potentially harmful particles. The last thing you want is to get all excited about cleaning your carpet only to end up with an allergic reaction or something else more serious like a respiratory infection. DIY carpet cleaning when done as a one person project also poses a risk to your health in that it increases the risk of injury and strain. This is the case especially when the cleaning involves removal of large carpets.

4. It will take you a lot more time and energy than necessary

DIY carpet cleaning is also not a good idea as it is incredibly inconvenient. First of all, it will take you a lot of time. This is because intensive carpet cleaning requires you to be very thorough in order to get everything right. Granted, the duration of the process does rely heavily on the size of the carpet. However, it is possible to spend even hours working on a small carpet when there is a lot of dirt to remove. There is also the fact that if you choose to go with water-based cleaning methods you will have to wait for the carpet to dry.

DIY carpet cleaning also requires a lot of physical energy. Professional crews usually work in teams which makes the process run faster and a lot more smoothly. While doing it yourself, get ready to be exhausted with everything from moving furniture in preparation to the actual cleaning process. In short, it is better to just spare yourself the bother and just let a professional handle it.

5. You might not know how best to handle different stains and messes

Finally, DIY carpet cleaning is not a good idea as most home owners do not know how best to deal with different stains. If you do not know what you are doing, you will just waste time, get tire and end up with the same frustrating stain on your carpet.

Bottom line

Without a doubt, carpet cleaning is one of those things that is best left to the professionals. The reasons highlighted above show the dangers of taking it on yourself. In addition to these, there is the fact that you will end up wasting your time and effort for results that honestly could be better. In spite of all this, you still have a pretty big role to play in ensuring that the carpet remains clean. In this case, one of the best things you can do is to ensure that you vacuum on a regular basis. That way, you can keep the carpet clean in between professional cleaning sessions. In a nutshell, when it comes to deep and thorough carpet cleaning, it is best to just leave it to the experts.